Last



Patented Nov. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE CLAUSING, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO7 ASSIGNOR TO THE VULCAN LAST COM-PANY, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LAST.

Application led April 28, 1924.

To all wlw/n 1f/may concer/a.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE CLAUsiNG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and usef-ul Improvements in Lasts, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

My invention relates to lasts and in particular to collapsible lasts.

Itis the object of my invention to provide an easily and cheaplyconstructed last which will be collapsible and which will stay in 5either its collapsed or extended position.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for yieldinglyresisting the passage of the last halves from expanded to collapsedposition and vice versa.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a section through the last in expanded position.

Figure 2 is a section of the last in col lapsed position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism which joins the last halves andyieldingly resists the movement of such halves.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

1 represents the toe part of a last and 2 the heel part. The toe part iscut away to receive the last connecting mechanism at 3 and the heel partis cut away for a similar purpose as at 4. The rear face of the forepartof the last has a substantially vertical 35 flat surface when inexpanded position,

which extends substantially half way from the top of the forepart of thelast to the bottom. About midway from the top of the last is a. concaveportion 6, which lis semi- -m circular in character, the lower end ofwhich terminates in a short vertical rear face 7 on the rear of the toepart of the last. The front of the hee-l part of the last has a similarvertical face near the bottom as at 8, which adjoins the correspondingsurface 7 on the toe part. Above this space 8 is a semicircularprojection or knuckle 9, which fits within the concave portion 6 of thetoe part. This knuckle has a circular surface describing more than 180degrees and at the upper end of it starts a rearwardly directed frontface 10 of the rear last part. The front or toe part of the last isprovided with a transverse pin 11, while a similar pin is located '55transversely as at 12 in the rear or heel part Cil Serial No. 709,474.

of the last. The centers of these pins are located on a line below thecenter 13 of the knuckle 9 when the last is in its expanded position andthe last parts are so arranged that when this last is moved to itscollapsed position this line joining the centers of the pins 11 and 12will pass over the so called dead center 13, which is approximatelyindicated on the drawings.

Pivotally mounted on the pin 11 is a. vertically and laterally extendinghook having a vertically extending portion 14 and a hook portion 15 witha nose 16. The pin 12 carries a similar hook having a vertical portion17, a hook 18, and a nose 19. Connecting the vertical portions of thehooks is a link 20, of which there may be either one or a pair on eitherside of the hooks. This link is pivotally mounted as at 21 to the hook14 and as at 22 to the hook 17.

Mounted upon the link is an arch spring 23 having the ends 24 and 25bearing upon the top of the link 2O and its center arched above thelink. Its ends are bifurcated to embrace the hooks on either end toprevent the lateral shifting of this spring 23. The noses and hooks,such as 16 and 19, engage with the top of the spring over its archedportion. TVhen the last is collapsed the distance between the centers ofthe pins 11 and 12 increases with the result that the pins move awayfrom each other and the hooks rock on the pivotal points 21 and 22. Thiscauses the noses 15 and 18 of the hooks to be depressed with theconsequent attening of the spring 23, which resists this operation andfurnishes the yielding resistance of the yielding of the last fromextended to collapsed position. The compressibility ofgthe material outof which the last is made also cooperates to permit of this operation.The tendency of the spring to return to its initial arched positionassists in the movement of the last parts to expanded position when thedead center is again passed over.

I desire to comprehend within my invention such modiications as may benecessary to adapt it to varying conditions.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a last, a fore part and a heel part adapted to rock upon oneanother from collapsed to expanded position and vice versa, a transversepin in either part, vertical Cil members pivoted thereon, a linkpivotally connecting said members, and yieldingmeans engaging with saidmembers, to resist the movements -of the last parts.

2. In a last, a fore part and a heel part adapted to rock upon oneanother, hooks pivotally mounted in said last parts, a link connectingsaid hooks and pivotally connected to each hook, and yielding means toresist the rocking of said hooks about the points of connection oit thelink to the hooks.

In a last, a fore part and a heel part adapted to rock upon lone anotherabout 'a given center, hooks pivoted in the respective last parts atpoi-nts below the pivotal center of the last parts when the parts are inexpanded position and above said center when the parts are in collapsedposition, a link pivotally connecting said hooks together, and ayielding means engaging` said hooks to resist the movements of the lastparts.

4. In a last, a fore part and a heel part adapted to rock upon oneanother about a given center, hooks pivoted in the respecti've lastparts at points below the pivotal center of 4the last parts when theparts `are in expanded position and above said center when the parts arein collapsed position, a. link pivotalllv `connectingl said hookstogether, and a yielding means eng-aging said hooks to resist themovements of the last parts, the parts bein g so arranged that when thelast parts are moved from one position to another and the distancebetween the points of connection of the hooks to the last part-s varies,the hooks will rock about the pivotal connections of vthe links to thehooks.

5. In a last, a fore .part and a heel part adapted to rock upon oneanother about a given center, hooks pivoted in the respective last partslat points below the pivotal center of the last parts when the parts arein expanded position and above said center when the parts are incollapsed position, a link pivotally connecting said hooks together, anda yielding means engaging` said hooks to resist the 'n'iovements of thelast parts, the parts being so arranged that when the last parts aremoved from one position to another and the distance between the pointsof connection of the hooks to the last parts varies, the hooks will rockabout the pivotal connections of the links to the hooks, a-nd saidyielding means being mounted upon the link having; its lree ends restingthereon and its center engaging the noses ot the hooks.

6. In a last, hooks pivoted in either the fore part or the heel part ofthe last, a link pivotally connected to said hooks above the poi-nts ofconnection of the lhooks to the last parts, means to permit said partsto rock about one another on a common center .so that the distancebetween the centers of connection of the hooks to the last parts willvary as the line joining said centers passes over the center of pivotalmovement of the last parts, an arch spring having its tree ends restingon said link andthe Ycenter of its arch "engaged by -the noses of 'thehooks.

7. In a last, hooks pivoted in either the lore part or the heel part 'of'the last, a link pivotally connected to said hooks above the. points,of connection :of the hooks to the last parts, means to permit saidparts to rock about one 'another on a com-mon ycent-er so that thedistance between the lcenters of vconnection of the hooks to the lastparts will vary as the line joining- `said centers passes` over thecenter of pivotal movement Y'ofthe last parts, an arch spring havrng itstree ends resting,- on said link and the center of' its arch'engaged bythe noses of the hooks` said tree ends of the spring being adapted toengage the hooks to prevent lateral movement of the spring.

8. In a last, a fore part and a heel lpart having a knuckle o-int sothat 'they `can rock about one another on a common center, hookspivotally mounted in the respective last parts below said center whenthe parts are expanded and above said center when the parts larecollapsed, a link pivotally 'connected to said lhooks above said center,yieldinfomeans mounted on said link Aand adapted to be compressed by thenoses of said hooks.

9. In a last, 'a fore part and aheel part having a` knuckle joint sothat they 'can rock about one another on a common center, hookspivot-ally mountedv in the respective last parts below said center whenthe parts are ,expanded and above said center when the parts arecollapsed, a link pivotallj7 yconnected to said hooks above said center,yielding means mounted on said link and adapted to be compressed bv thenoses of said hooks, said last parts being` composed of compressiblematerial vwhich will yield t'o the variation in distance between thepivot-al points ot connection of the hooks to the last parts as theparts move from one position to the other.

In testimony whereof, I aliix my signature. y A

GEORGE CLAUSING.

